August 2011 Newsletter

This month we feature another Industry Expert

Gary Simmons founded MCS in 1982 with the goal of providing management systems and training to drive profitable fixed-end operations for dealerships across the nation. A disabled veteran who served in the United States Navy, Simmons graduated from California State University in Bakersfield with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, and a minor in business and public administration.

With years of experience in automotive dealerships serving as Customer Relations Manager, Service Manager, Service Director, and General Manager, Simmons knew first-hand that dealerships had a tremendous need for support services in the areas of management, operations, sales, and services. With that knowledge, MCS was born. A current client list of over 930 dealerships in 43 states bears testament to the success of the MCS approach: providing personal, on-site training coupled with virtual sales presentations and training programs to ensure that dealership fixed-operations best practices become permanent ways of doing business.

A sought-after industry speaker with numerous Dealer Twenty Groups presentations under his belt, Simmons is also a regular guest speaker for CPA and legal firms specializing in the automotive industry.

Here is an example of his expertise:

The Basics in the Service Drive

The fundamental way to improve service department profit is to treat every customer repair order as an opportunity, and maximize every sale.

The key is to understand fully, the potential that exists in 3 areas.
1. Captive Sale - The customer arrives in the service department for a specific repair or maintenance reason; something requires attention or immediate need. This is the natural sale.
2. Service Advisors Point of Sale (Customer Walk Around)- The walk around the customer’s car is extremely critical to the overall performance of the service advisor. The service advisor recommends specific repairs to the customer relating to the miles on the car and the condition of the car. The customer’s car is a visual aid for the service advisor recommending additional repairs to the customer.
3. Follow Up / Multi Point Vehicle Inspections – Insure that the service technicians are inspecting each and every vehicle in the Service Department to educate the customer of the additional maintenance or repair needed on his automobile. This information will become a permanent record of the condition of the vehicle.

Few service advisors have the skills or training to create a need for additional recommended services, present a solution to their customers...every time. Too often they rely solely on the technicians to find items during their inspections, and even then may feel nervous about a presentation to the customer.

The service drive point-of-sale is at the walk around. Observations made here, lead to additional recommendations for additional repairs that would otherwise slip by.

Presented properly, the service advisors sale can be a lot easier than it's perceived to be.

The Solution

We help dealerships maximize results from all three areas of sales potential by:
• Reviewing the fundamentals in a classroom environment
• Working with the service manager and advisors, live in the service drive with real customers
• Supplying and using virtual, talking sales presentation programs specifically designed for the service drive

This combination of processes ensures that service advisors are educated, encouraged and motivated to make a proper presentation, every time, with every customer...always...and that service managers have the tools necessary to operate their departments at peak efficiency...every day.

Gary may be contacted by email at gary@autopeople.com or visit his website: www.simmonsmcs.com

For more information about Autopeople, please go to www.autopeople.com or email us at info@autopeople.com